[Pathophysiologic aspects of chronic venous insufficiency]

Knowledge of the pathophysiology of the venous circulation and its evaluation before treatment determines not only the best therapeutic plan, but at the same time makes it possible to avoid operations which are not necessary and a priori doomed to lead to a relapse. The basic therapeutic principles in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency after evaluation and localization of the functional disorder by an objective examination method (duplex sonography, phlebography ...) are: a) compression, b) severing of pathological points of insufficient perforators, orifices of both saphenous veins, c) antireflux operation of the deep veins with preference of the popliteal vein. Any therapeutic procedure which does not have the aim to reduce venous hypertension is a priori doomed to failure and very soon a relapse develops. From this aspect it is not important to remove chaotically and extensively superficial varicosities (surgically or by sclerotherapy) but to severe the insufficient perforators and the insufficient orifices of saphenous veins surgically or by sclerotherapy.